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A tiny island in the Caribbean off the East Coast of the United States, Bermuda has become a popular tourism destination, due in part to its sandy beaches and high-end resort hotels. But the island is also known for its golf, with nine courses crammed into a 26-square-mile area, some of them offering the best golf in the Caribbean.

Accolades

In 2010, GolfWeek Magazine named the Mid Ocean Club in Tucker’s Town as the second-best golf course in the Caribbean and Mexico, in their annual top 50 rankings. Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton was selected No. 24 and Tucker’s Point Club in Harrington was selected No. 39. Five of Bermuda’s nine courses made Golf Digest Magazine’s most recent “Planet Golf” rankings in 2010, in which the magazine named the best courses in each country. Those courses were Mid Ocean Club, Port Royal Golf Course, Tucker’s Point Club, Riddell’s Bay Golf and Country Club and Belmont Hills Golf Club, both in Warwick.

The Top Designers

C.B. McDonald, one of golf’s early leaders and course designers, built the Mid Ocean Club in 1922; it is the island’s oldest course. Robert Trent Jones Sr., one of golf’s foremost course designers, created Port Royal Golf Course in 1970. The English-born designer was responsible for more than 500 course designs around the world, including a major championship venue like Hazeltine National Golf Club and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama. Jones also designed St. George’s Golf Club in St. George’s. Ted Robinson Sr. designed the Fairmont Southampton Golf Club. Robinson designed more than 170 courses, including Sahalee Country Club in Washington, the host of the 1998 PGA Championship.

When to Go

The best time to play golf is generally from November to March. That’s when the weather cools down and the rates decrease, for both hotels and golf courses. Going to Bermuda in the winter also allows you to avoid the unpredictable hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean. Thanks to its location in the Caribbean, the weather allows you to play golf there year-round, but rain becomes a factor in the summer.

Taking a Tour

A few companies offer Bermuda golfing packages. Sophisticatedgolfer.com offers packages that include accommodations at six different Bermuda hotels, including the area’s top golf resort, the Fairmont Southampton. These packages include ground transportation, meals, tee times and green fees. Bermuda Golf Vacations allows you to build your own package, which includes rounds of golf, ground and air travel and accommodations.

Other Suggestions

Courses in Bermuda have a strict dress code. Sleeveless shirts and jeans are not allowed, and shorts must come down to the knees. Shirts must also have collars. Mid Ocean, Riddell’s Bay and Tucker’s Point are private courses, but they’re not necessarily off-limits. There are ways to play them, as some of Bermuda’s resorts offer rounds through their own club memberships. If you’re visiting Bermuda via cruise, check with your cruise company about golf. They may be able to help you book a round during an excursion.

Resources

About the Author

T.L Chancellor has more than 12 years of newspaper reporting and editing experience. She has written extensively about education, business and city government. She has also worked at a public relations firm, focusing on environmental issues with clients.

Images related to Bermuda

The International One Design racing sloop "Bounty", on a mooring in Soncy Bay, Hamilton Harbour, Bermuda, with the north shoreline of Paget, Bermuda, in the background.

The S.S. Queen of Bermuda in Bermuda harbour, late 1952 or very early 1953 from a slide photo that was developed in January 1953 so could not have been later, or very much earlier as Dad took lots of slides and got film developed every few weeks and was in Bermuda from 1952-1954 the exact date mentioned below 31 Dec 1952 is only a guess but ...